Future urban growth and archaeological heritage management: some implications for research activity in Africa

TY - JOUR

T1 - Future urban growth and archaeological heritage management:

T2 - some implications for research activity in Africa

AU - Lane, Paul Jeremy

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - Projected future urban growth in Africa is anticipated to be considerable, although estimates vary as to the overall likely scale of this, its spatial distribution within different countries, and the likely drivers and rates of change. Regardless of these details, urban expansion is likely to pose one of the most significant threats to the archaeological resources of the continent, and appropriate measures are urgently needed to mitigate against wholesale destruction of these without adequate documentation or investigation. This paper reviews the current literature concerning anticipated future growth, rates of change, and most likely spatial location of urban expansion up to c. 2050. The aim in doing so is to highlight the potential scale of this threat to Africa’s archaeological and heritage resources managers, and thereby encourage better monitoring of development in urban and peri-urban areas than has been the case hitherto. The paper concludes with some suggested strategies that, if adopted, would help mitigate some of the likely threats to long-term preservation of sites and monuments in urban and peri-urban areas.

AB - Projected future urban growth in Africa is anticipated to be considerable, although estimates vary as to the overall likely scale of this, its spatial distribution within different countries, and the likely drivers and rates of change. Regardless of these details, urban expansion is likely to pose one of the most significant threats to the archaeological resources of the continent, and appropriate measures are urgently needed to mitigate against wholesale destruction of these without adequate documentation or investigation. This paper reviews the current literature concerning anticipated future growth, rates of change, and most likely spatial location of urban expansion up to c. 2050. The aim in doing so is to highlight the potential scale of this threat to Africa’s archaeological and heritage resources managers, and thereby encourage better monitoring of development in urban and peri-urban areas than has been the case hitherto. The paper concludes with some suggested strategies that, if adopted, would help mitigate some of the likely threats to long-term preservation of sites and monuments in urban and peri-urban areas.

KW - urban growth, archaeological impact assessments, Africa, archaeological resources, heritage management, Gaborone, Nairobi

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84055213086&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - DOI 10.1179/175355211X131791541655980

DO - DOI 10.1179/175355211X131791541655980

M3 - Article

VL - 13

SP - 134

EP - 159

JO - Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites

JF - Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites

IS - 2-3

ER -